Welcome Mrs Smith
by Basmathgirl
Summary: This is the sequel to Goodbye Mr Smith where Donna met up with John Smith. She now gets to meet up with the Doctor properly. Can they cope with friendship?
1. Chapter 1

**Warning:** you don't have to be overly familiar with S4 because I'll be changing a few things along the way; and I'll be doing so knowingly.

**Summary:** this is the sequel to Goodbye Mr Smith where Donna met up with Mr John Smith. She now gets to meet up with the Doctor properly.

**Disclaimer:** these don't belong to me in any shape or form; and I can't pretend 'write what you know' applies to me anymore either.

**A/N:** I thought if I was going to change when Donna originally met the Doctor I might as well change some other things too! I have no other excuse.

* * *

**Previously before this:**

_she eventually resolved to seek out the Doctor. This time, if she found him, she wouldn't mess it up. She knew the score now, and she knew the rules of the game; she had read them in John's journal. If she was lucky she could become his friend; she'd decided it was worth the risk._

* * *

**Welcome Mrs Smith**

**Part 1**

.

It hadn't taken much persuading from Martha to get Donna to have a look around the place that featured the most in John's journal: the TARDIS. In fact she had jumped at the chance to compare how he had written about it with the reality. Perhaps, she had hoped, it would allow her to accept that all that talk of alien worlds was real and John belonged somewhere else entirely, in a different format. He was facing aliens at that precise moment nearby, she thought; and probably wasn't John anymore.

Martha had led her to the main doors cautiously, keeping her hands over Donna's eyes; frightened of scaring her off and wanting to amaze her instead. As they entered and made their way up the ramp, Martha released her hold and asked, "What do you think?"

"Wow!" Donna exclaimed as she looked around the console room of the TARDIS. "Is this really where you live with him?"

"Oh yes," Martha replied proudly.

Donna was still swivelling on the spot, keen to take everything in. "She really is beautiful! No wonder he found the flat so stifling at times," she said in reverential, hushed tones and reached out to brush a fingertip over a strut. She then turned a very sad gaze onto Martha before running a hand lovingly over the place at the console where he would normally stand. "He must have hated his time as a human; it would have been like caging a tiger."

Martha felt that she ought to give Donna some solace. "He loved his time with you, Donna. I've never seen him happier."

Donna visibly waved that compliment off. "That's only because he wasn't back with that Rose you mentioned; he'd have been _really_ happy if he'd met her instead. No, I was a handy stopgap; I can see that now. And I have you to thank, Martha, for that."

Martha gasped at her tone. "But you love him! How can you just give him up like that?"

"That's exactly why I can," Donna reasoned. "I love him enough to let him go. I want him to go on and be happy with his life, and this is how I can give that to him."

"You amaze me, Donna," Martha confessed with a slight shake of her head.

With a self-deprecating shrug, Donna blushed. "Glad to hear someone can be amazed by me," she mumbled. "I could never do what you do," she said more stridently. "You're the truly amazing person round here."

She then purposefully strode out of the TARDIS before Martha could say anything else. She'd seen what she wanted to see; she'd had it all proven to her. Now all that was left was the slow process of healing her broken heart. Yes, saying it quickly like that made it sound simple.

* * *

The Doctor could smell Donna's perfume as soon as he stepped back into the TARDIS; it wafted all around him in the console room, but it was strongest by the monitor. "Why did you bring her here?" he instantly asked Martha before he could stop himself from reacting any further in front of her.

"I wanted to help her accept you changing, and she asked if she could see your home," Martha answered in a small, tight voice. "I'm sorry if that was wrong."

"No, not wrong," he replied, brushing off the thoughts that bombarded him. She'd wanted to see his home for herself; seeing the TARDIS had influenced her decision. Ultimately she had rejected them both; and he felt his spirits sink even lower.

The TARDIS tried to protest that this wasn't so, that Donna had caressed her and been in awe, but the Doctor didn't want to listen to such things. The TARDIS considered showing him footage of what Donna had done, but she decided that she would leave it for the time being and show him later when he was calmer. He'd had a life changing day after all; and he needed to become reacquainted with his ship. For now he had to gain a sense of normality before he could properly grieve.

* * *

Despite his best efforts he was dreaming of Donna again, laying lazily in bed with her as she giggled at his insipid jokes. It was only in his dreams that he felt the full intensity of those moments from when he was human; he could distance himself during his waking life. Didn't being a Time Lord mean he could control his emotions after all? He was above such petty things as lust, desire and arousal. Except he wasn't above any of that in his dreams; instead other emotions like loss, homesickness and need also came tumbling in to confuse things in his mind. The strangest thing of all was the experience of waking up with tears on his face.

Rassilon, he missed her!

He could get through this, the Doctor knew he could. By fairs means or foul he would survive this latest hiccup. All he needed was a distraction.

That distraction was supplied by Harold Saxon, otherwise known as the Master. He would fill the Doctor's waking day with other thoughts that were far darker; especially once he had learned that the Master had sent in a special task force to eliminate a certain area of Chiswick. There would be no hope of finding that precious love again.

* * *

When the TARDIS set him down in London he was still feeling lonely, lost and dejected after the events of the Titanic. The Doctor coped in the only way he knew: he pretended it wasn't happening. Because of that, the tall building in front of him was intriguing. Why had the TARDIS brought him there? What puzzle did Adipose Industries hold for him to solve? Using his sonic screwdriver, and flashing his psychic paper about, he set upon his latest adventure little knowing there was another reason the TARDIS was sitting there.

After pottering about the place, poking his nose in into various places, and setting up camp in a seemingly innocent looking cupboard while he waited, the Doctor confidently scaled his way up the outside of the building with the intention of finding some new information. Yes, he found something all right! He found a curious Donna Noble gazing back at him with delight through two well-spaced-out panes of glass.

Instantly his hearts lifted with glee at the sight of her. If his eyes were correct, she had sought him out, judging by the conversation she had mimed. Racing down the stairs to greet Donna, he almost tripped over his feet trying to get to her quickly. With a jubilant whoosh of emotion, he engulfed her in a tight hug and was gratified to feel her hug him back just as tightly.

Time stood still for him as he held her within his arms. There was the familiar softness of her body, the scent of her favoured shampoo, the texture of her hair as it brushed against his cheek, the vibrancy of her being as she achieved something close to her heart, and the sheer knowledge that he was back where he wanted to be.

Mere seconds later they relaxed their grip on each other, and his secret dream was released too. Of course she had to mock him; it was almost written in her contract, and he found himself beaming at her in relief that she still felt able to do so. But he didn't dare hope she would want to travel with him yet. The fear of rejection stopped that one.

It was that same fear that made him react like a complete pranny when she hinted at him about an invite, and continue to do so when it looked like she would say 'yes'.

* * *

She had found him! She had finally found him; peering in the window like a demented bird on the windowsill. Why did that look appeal to her so much? Her excitement knew no bounds as she gesticulated at him through several panes of glass in order to make herself understood; and then she was off running to greet him personally.

Donna raced anxiously up the stairs towards the Doctor, knowing he was pleased to see her, but she was hoping it wasn't more than that on her part. She was sure he stumbled over himself to get to her, and she was sure she saw John briefly in that moment; making her heart skip a beat. It did make her hug him a bit tighter than she should have done, she chastised herself. What was she thinking? The little mantra 'this is not John' started to play in her head. Thankfully it stopped her from seeking out more from the embrace; something closer to a kiss in greeting. For now she was satisfied to merely hold him for a while.

She could do this, Donna was sure she could. That deep overwhelming need to travel and see all that he could offer her was still rampant inside her heart. For now John was still safely locked away, she told herself. The Doctor seemed a friendly enough bloke, and God knew why she had decided to spend her life with him based on only a few minutes; but she had. There was no doubt in her mind that this was what she wanted. Which was why she had deliberately picked up on his vague request to join him; she didn't want to leave any doubt in his mind either.

Except doubt crept in when he stood bumbling in front of her, going on about wanting a mate, and the complications Martha's crush had caused. Yes, she had seen some of those complications up close and personally, so she knew perfectly well what he meant. But it was how he said it! Donna didn't know how she had fought back the tears as he stood pathetically stuttering in order to explain himself; because that bit was pure John, and she had to protect herself from the pain it caused.

"You're not mating with me, Sunshine!" she heard herself snap irritably at him. She hadn't meant to be so mean to him, but she was shocked, hurt, and angry that his 'John'ness had peeked through to mock her. "You're just a long streak of…" she gestured wildly, desperate to swipe him off the path toward thinking she was after him in THAT way. It would be beyond embarrassing if he knew he was remotely in the running for 'fantasy of the week'. That snippet she kept safely to herself.

Donna knew she had done the right thing when he looked relieved at her words. Admittedly she had breathed a sigh of relief too when he clarified, "I just want _A_ mate; not _TO_ mate!"

Oh Rassilon, he'd done it now! He'd upset her good and proper. Of course she would not want be interested in him and his body; she had made that perfectly clear. So his declaration was needed to move things forward. It would seem he had succeeded dramatically when she asked, "I can come?"

Oh yes, oh yes! He had wanted to grab her there and then, but he showed his delight by saying, "I'd love it!" The offer of a hug to seal the deal was the most obvious thing in the world after that.

Donna glowed with the knowledge he was prepared to offer her a hug after all that emotional confusion; so she raced forward and accepted the embrace. Bugger her mum's car keys; they could wait five more minutes! This was a hug to savour.

She did, however, murmur after a couple of moments crushed against his welcoming chest, "I've got a few things I need to get from the car first."

"A few?" he queried once she had opened the boot and revealed numerous pieces of luggage.

"What? I was being logical. You have to be prepared for almost anything, don't you? I know that you travel to various climes and I wanted to be prepared," Donna reasoned, taking his silence as acceptance. So what if she happened to ignore his questioning gaze as she piled cases into his outstretched arms? It didn't matter. He was a seasoned traveller after all, and should have expected such preparations.

The Doctor suddenly found himself with armfuls of Donna's clothing; all wrapped up in mock leather casings, obviously. He hadn't got _that_ close to his dream yet. But… blimey! The woman was prepared for literally everything! He hadn't even known it was possible to jam that much into the boot of a small Peugeot. A massive part of him was very impressed with her organisational skills and the fact she had done this in order to find him. Hope blossomed within him where it hadn't dared show before.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Yes, I know this never happened in Series 4; now ask me if I'm bovvered.

* * *

**Part Two**

.

She was actually here! She was sleeping just down the corridor to him, and he could hardly contain his excitement. Except Time Lords don't do excitement like that, he was just relieved that she was okay and had survived her second encounter with aliens that had threatened human lives.

This feeling inside his stomach had nothing to do with the possibility that his excitement was based on the fact that Donna had openly admitted she had sought him out, had spent the best part of a year doing so, and all in the quest to take up a previous offer.

If he was more human, and not Time Lord, he would have been jumping up and down with glee at this point; but he wasn't human…. anymore… so he didn't _do_ jumping up like that either.

Thinking of being human led his thoughts down a particular local memory lane; one that had been filled with Donna-related things. The Doctor sighed in remembrance. Why had he even thought that way? It had all been nonsense. After all, who in their right mind would have been so taken with the way her hair shone in the sunlight, her infectious laugh, her sense of humour, her professional perfectionism, and her empathy that had been so determined to overlook 'his' shyness?

John Smith, that was who. Thank goodness he was no longer him! John led too simplistic a life for his tastes. Okay, he sometimes missed the carefully honed relationship John had built up with his pupils, the way each day had been a different sort of adventure, and…

The Doctor batted away thoughts about romantic love, about sharing an intimate life; about the wonderful, accessible sex that had brought with it. Life wasn't only about sex at the end of the day! 'No, it had often happened first thing in the morning,' a treacherous memory interrupted him.

Anger made him frown heavily. All that nonsense was in the past, long ago in his personal timeline, and he was being stupid to let the sight of Donna dredge all of that back up into the forefront of his memories. He had to remind himself that this Donna, the one that was currently sound asleep in her own TARDIS bed (and not the one that had been in John's flat), was a different woman.

* * *

Donna had recognised it as soon as she had sat down on the mattress. This bed was the one that used to be in John's flat. How lovely of the TARDIS to welcome her like this by giving her something so familiar and of sentimental value. She had instantly looked up at the ceiling and spoken her thanks, hoping that the TARDIS could hear and understand her gratitude.

There hadn't been much for her to keep of John after that dreadful night. When Donna had gone back to his flat the whole place had been emptied out; not a scrap still existed beyond the basic fittings and amenities that had to be left behind for the next tenant. She could have wept as she gazed at the empty rooms, wondering if the Doctor had moved the stuff into the TARDIS or if it had all been dumped somewhere. With a final goodbye, she had left her key on the kitchen worktop and walked away from her previous life.

So the sight of John's bed in her bedroom had instantly made her feel at home, that the TARDIS actually wanted her there rather than tolerated her presence.

With great care she had taken out her personal things, laying them on the shelves and dressing table; re-arranging them until they looked just right. Lovingly she ran a finger over the framed photo of John and her dad, unable to resist doing so. "I found the last piece of you, John. I finally did it," she proudly told the photo. "Seems I'm not so daft after all. Or the TARDIS wanted me here, I'm not sure yet. Either way I'll find some of the stars for you." Sniffing back a tear, she tenderly kissed the image. "Thank you for helping me," she murmured. "I love you, and always will."

* * *

The Doctor couldn't wait for Donna to wake up! What should he do her for breakfast? Anxiously bustling about in the kitchen, he prepared fresh coffee, orange juice, thick slices of toast and opened a new jar of marmalade. As a last minute decision, he thought it would make it an extra special welcome if he took her breakfast in bed, so he hastily put all the items on a large tray and headed towards Donna's bedroom.

"Donna?" he called out before knocking on the door. "Donna, can I come in?"

"Hang on a second!" Donna called back, a minute later she yelled out, "You can come in, Timeboy."

Balancing the tray on one of his knees briefly, the Doctor fumbled with the door handle and entered the room. "I thought a bit of breakfast in bed was in order," he explained as he carried in his goodies. "Did you sleep well?"

His beamy smile was infectious as she saw the treat he had prepared. "Very well, thank you. And you needn't have done all this! I could have easily come into the kitchen," she said in greeting. It suddenly struck her that she didn't know what 'in bed' exactly entailed, so she watched him to see where he would deposit the tray and where he would try to place himself. Fortunately he sat down at the end of the bed.

"Eat up," he encouraged. "I made it all just for you." He didn't add that he had toasted the bread and had smeared on the butter just as she liked it, or had opened a jar of her favourite type of marmalade. Hopefully she appreciated it all nevertheless.

She sighed happily as she noticed all the fine touches to her favourite things on the tray. "Ain't you having some?" she asked him.

He waited for her to bite into a slice of toast and marmalade before answering, "No, I did it all for you." It was when some toast crumbs fluttered down onto her chest that he politely looked away and took in the rest of the room properly.

There were several books and magazines lying about, a couple of suitcases waiting to be stored away, and a few framed pictures on the side. The photo on the bedside cabinet caught his attention, and he felt himself react emotionally to the sight. He had expected to see her dad amongst her photographic possessions; he hadn't, however, expected to see himself there, and he tried to dampen down the memory of when that particular picture had been taken.

Instead he tried to cover his reaction by asking, "How are everyone?"

Donna answered by shrugging her shoulders. "Oh you know; bobbing along, as we say. Mum ran away by getting us to move in with Gramps, and I literally ran away. They finally erected Dad's gravestone last week, so that helped us to move on. Mum's sort of been in limbo until now, waiting for the final step. But she's back at work, and that's helped enormously, being back with Suzette and that."

The Doctor was ashamed that he'd clean forgot about Geoff's impending demise. He guiltily swallowed and said, "I had meant to be there when…"

"I know," she replied, giving him a small understanding smile. "You can't be everywhere."

"I'm sorry. I promised," he stated, and placed a hand over her nearest one.

She ducked her head and said so quietly he almost didn't hear her, "You didn't. It was John who promised." Before he could respond, she whipped her hand away and picked up her cup of coffee to sip. "This is really good coffee! I can see I'm in danger of being spoilt rotten while I'm here. Where were you thinking of taking us today?"

"Well, I was thinking…," he began, and allowed himself to be completely distracted onto a different topic.

* * *

It was a while later that the Doctor swept into the cavern he had discovered below the city of Benharus, having sought it out for the best part of an hour. Standing in the centre of the space was Donna, as large as life.

She'd been so excited when they had landed on this planet; her first ever alien world but no doubt she soon changed her tune. The people on Helfen had seemed overly pleased when they had spotted Donna, and had insisted the pair of them should go to the city of Banharus for the festival they were celebrating by the sea shore, they were told. There had been a great deal of excitement to greet their appearance, and for once the Doctor had hoped he would have a completely pleasant adventure without any problems.

Of course things didn't continue to be pleasant. When Donna had disappeared before him earlier, by being grabbed suddenly, the Doctor had wondered why they were dragging her off, among other things. Then their host, the Mar of Parra, had explained how the sun goddess was to be married to the sun god to bring fertility unto the land. Donna was apparently their sun goddess because of her hair.

Married? They were going to marry her off? Not on your nelly they weren't… and when did he start using Wilf's favourite sayings? Obviously Donna and her family were starting to rub off on him, again.

He should have guessed that these Helfen people would see Donna as a sun goddess, because who could look at her hair and not imagine the sun within it? "Mar Parra, Donna is not available for you to marry off to anyone; let alone your sun god!" the Doctor had protested.

The Mar of Parra had immediately bowed low and apologised most profusely. "I do not wish to offend you, Doctor, but your wife is needed for our ceremony. She will be returned to you if our sun god does not require her."

The Doctor hid his shock. Wife? Again? This was the school in a different format; but he decided to play along for the time being. "I'm relying upon that. Now tell me, where would she be taken while I find out?"

For some strange reason the Mar Parra had been extremely vague in his explanation, as if he had expected the Doctor to go and seek Donna back, which he was entirely correct to do. It was the news that the sun god tended to 'taste' his new wife that made the Doctor begin his quest in earnest because he was certain Donna did not want to be tasted by anyone. Using a well-placed sonic screwdriver, he had 'insisted' that Mar Parra show him were the sun god was.

On the way down through the tunnels the Doctor had heard the tale of how exactly the sun god would taste his new wife, and it involved her being offered in a subterranean nest for the crustaceous amphibian god. After a while of the Mar of Parra babbling away about blasphemy, the Doctor let him run away just to shut him up. Silence is sometimes golden.

It was a surprise to found himself suddenly standing in the cold, dank lair beneath the city looking at a woman in a fancy dress who was obviously bored out of her skull; a woman who was clearly Donna. He'd know those (assets) attitudes anywhere.

He looked at her in amazement as she stood before him. "You're wearing a wedding dress!" he exclaimed futilely.

"Thanks for that, Sunshine. I'd have never noticed if you hadn't've pointed it out," Donna replied sarcastically, sweeping a hand down her body in emphasis. "That was the point of them kidnapping me, so I'm told."

"Oh yes," he answered weakly. "Shall we get out of here…? By the way, you do look lovely in it; I forgot to say that when I first saw you."

She snorted in derision. "It's okay; you don't have to patronise me. After all, this isn't my real wedding day."

"Erm… I think you'll find it is. Except you didn't get there," he said; pointing out the glaringly obvious yet again. "Your groom is probably on the way."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I'm still changing stuff.

* * *

**Part Three**

.

Donna glared at him. "Never mind all that! Are you going to get me out of here? I don't fancy being cat food for a bunch of crab creatures, thank you very much! I've got a nice book in my room that I'd like to finish."

He gave an apologetic sniff. "This way then," he said with a nod of his head. "I calculated that there is a tunnel leading straight out to the sea. Are you okay with swimming underwater for a bit?"

"No problem! I did scuba diving for a while, if you remember me telling you; although this dress will be a bit of a hindrance." With that, Donna started to attack the bottom of her long dress, ripping pieces off it. "Well help then! I can't do this all on my own, Spaceman!" she scornfully aimed at him.

The Doctor rushed forward to help extract several layers of soft, lacy material from around Donna's lower body; until they were left with the sight of her bare legs, and he was left feeling unusually hot considering the circumstances. "Is that okay?" he asked her as he looked up from his position down by her knees.

Donna quickly adjusted what was left of the dress to make sure her knickers were adequately covered. "That should do it. Now where is the exit?"

"That tunnel there," he pointed out to her, waving the light from his sonic onto the rock.

Donna held back a gasp at the cramped size of the tunnel. The main thought in her head was whether she could fit through it or not. But the Doctor was already leading the way, so she decided to trust in his decision, and followed.

The pale blue light of the sonic lit up the tunnel, which quickly deepened and widened slightly as cold water poured in. "How far will we have to swim underwater?" she called out above the noise of the evident tidal flow.

"Might be two or three minutes," he called back. "Here goes!"

He plunged into the cold depths, and Donna obediently followed, using skills she hadn't required in ages. When they surfaced on the other side of the rocks she was quite pleased with herself for still being able to do it. With steady strokes they swam the small distance to the shore and clambered onto the beach. It wasn't much of a beach and was surrounded by high rocks and cliffs.

It was freezing once they were out of the water and not moving anymore. Donna desperately tried to rub heat into her skin, as her teeth betrayed her shivering by chattering loudly. "Here, let me help you," the Doctor offered as he approached her.

It was on the tip of her tongue to shout "Hands!" at him, but it never made it out; she was concentrating too much on fighting off the coldness as his hands moved expertly over her body. She also tried hard to ignore the difference his wet plastered hair made to his face; her mind was telling her it wasn't the Doctor trying so attentively to help her gain back some warmth but John! It was easy to let John do the job for her as old feelings stirred. It was all so confusing; and she held back on her sudden need to run her fingers through his hair to swipe it off his face.

The Doctor didn't enjoy the experience at all... well, maybe… just a little bit… that he'd admit. Steeling himself, he rubbed the cold skin of her long exposed legs and then her arms, resisting the urge to use the rest of his body. It would be miles easier if he could wrap his arms around her waist and… He was brought out of his thoughts by Donna's voice.

Her mantra of 'this is not John' pushed through to her logical mind, and she forced herself to use his name as something caught her eye. "Doctor, do you remember all that talk about a sun god? I think he is on his way home for lunch," she commented as she gazed out to sea.

He turned his attention to the foaming waves and caught sight of a creature that looked both crustaceous and amphibious. "Donna, don't get too worried but we might have to… RUN!" He grabbed her hand, and they were off; running across the beach towards the rocks that led up to where the city of Benharus sat.

"This is just like a scene out of Jason and the Argonauts," Donna stated at one point as they attempted to climb up quickly through the loose boulders.

"Less talking, more climbing," he testily replied as he eased her over a particularly difficult rock by pushing her from behind.

"Less of the hands on bums wouldn't go amiss either," she snarked back.

The Doctor just sighed in exasperation and carried on aiding their ascent. At that point something large snapped at them, and they jumped behind a conveniently huge rock as it continued to try and bite them. Whilst the sun god tried to get its mouth round the rock, they carried on climbing upwards, glad that it hadn't thought to look above its head. "Your fiancé doesn't look too happy," he remarked as they managed to get beyond the creature's reach.

He immediately wanted to bite his tongue when Donna mournfully answered, "Story of my life, that. I can get fiancés but I can't keep them."

As they lay panting on the top of the cliff, he told her, "I'm sorry, Donna." He reached across to give her a consoling touch.

"Yeah, you and the rest of the universe," she muttered. "At least I got one step nearer this time; I got as far as the dress. You never know, I might make it through the ceremony if I live to be over ninety," she joked.

His expression turned sober and he held onto her hand. "Donna, I'm sure it'll be much sooner than that when you get married."

"Eighty possibly? Do you think I can lop off ten years?" she tried to joke again. Hell, she really wished he would stop looking like John and go back to being a Time Lord cockatiel; especially when he looked at her lovingly like that.

The Doctor wanted so desperately to make her feel better, to wipe away the anguish she was so obviously feeling. The temptation was to run a soothing hand over her cheek and kiss away her sadness; but he bravely fought it off. Instead he suggested, "Let's get you back to the TARDIS and a nice warm bath, if you've finished being a sun goddess for the day."

"What about the Helfen bods? Aren't they going to be mightily miffed that I've buggered off and come after us with pointy sticks, or whatever aliens use in these parts," she asked.

"Good point," he replied thoughtfully. "In that case we'd better run. Are you up to that yet?"

"I'll give it a go," she answered as he pulled her to her feet; and then they were off, heading back home.

* * *

When Donna joined him later he was sitting in the library, so she plonked herself down on the other end of the sofa to him before asking, "How often do you get to be almost eaten on your adventures? I don't remember that featuring in the stories I read."

The Doctor put down the book he'd been reading to consider her question. "You know I think you might be right. The probability of being threatened with ingestion is very low."

"Typical that I get a rare one then," she snorted in scorn.

"To be fair, you _did_ get being worshipped as a sun goddess, and that one is extremely rare too," he answered, smiling broadly at her. "I must admit I've never had that one."

Donna giggled at the mental image that conjured up. "I dunno, with the right dress and a decent wig I'm sure we could scrounge a bit of sun goddess worshipping for you," she said with a laugh.

Oh how he loved that laugh. It was delightful to hear it again after so long. He forgot himself for a second and reached out a hand to capture a curl of her hair to emphasise his point. "How could I ever hope to compete with your lovely hair? Look at how it shines in the light. It's like liquid star shine," he told her as he gazed at the lock lying across his fingers, admiring its hues. He then looked up and caught her curious gaze, and remembered that he wasn't supposed to do this, to be this close without invitation.

"Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?" Donna muttered in embarrassment.

The Doctor instantly dropped the lock of hair and shuffled away from her, back to his end of the sofa. "Just giving a compliment where a compliment is due," he excused himself, blushing.

Donna couldn't believe it! He was actually blushing. She was amazed he could react like that; although why shouldn't he, since John had blushed frequently.

John… she had to stop comparing him to John. She was almost tempted to hit herself for bringing him up. John was gone, lost forever, and the Doctor only looked like him. There was only one answer she could come up with at that point. "Would you like some tea?" she asked as brightly as she could, and practically ran out of the room.1587

* * *

They opened the TARDIS doors to find themselves within an extremely fancy house; in fact it looked grand enough to be a palace. "Hmm," the Doctor said as he closely examined their surroundings. "I'd say this is definitely Georgian, but I need to investigate when exactly during the eighteenth century."

"So I need to dress up?" Donna asked him, already silently pleading with the TARDIS to give her something half decent.

"I'd say that would be a good idea," the Doctor replied, sweeping his gaze over her trousers.

"If you pack the picnic I'll go change," she cheekily offered him, and disappeared down the corridor towards her bedroom.

She needn't have worried because the TARDIS had laid out a beautiful silk Georgian dress on her bed, with accompanying jewellery and shoes. Donna ran a grateful hand over the nearest wall, and donned both the dress and its accessories.

The Doctor thought she looked beautiful when she appeared by the doors behaving anxiously. "What's the problem? Does it not fit properly?" he asked.

"It's erm… it's a little revealing for someone of my age," she admitted.

"Nonsense! You look divine," he enthused. "Now do you fancy seeing the rest of the palace?" He offered her his arm to take, and she did so willingly.

"Where are we exactly? Have you worked it out yet?" she wondered.

He beamed smugly as they walked. "This is 1788 and we are in Windsor Castle during the reign of King George III."

"Wasn't he the one with the madness? I saw that film and felt ever so sorry for him," she told the Doctor.

The Doctor didn't get the chance to confirm this beyond a nod because a footman stopped their progress and asked what their names were.

"Hullo, we're the Lord Doctor and Lady Donna Noble of Tardis," he greeted the servant.

"Are you a Lord like that?" Donna whispered to him.

"Well… I will be once Queen Victoria knights me, so I think it counts," he whispered back.

The footman indicated that they should follow him, and they found themselves entering the King's private chambers.

"Is this another physician?" the Queen asked her servant.

"Ma'am, this is Lord Doctor Noble and his Lady Donna Noble of Tardis," the servant announced.

"We're not married…," the Doctor declared.

"We're not a couple…," Donna added at the same time as they both did their usual denial speech.

"Then what relationship are you since you are obviously not brother and sister," Queen Charlotte insisted on knowing.

"Sister-in-law," Donna spat out. "I'm not directly related to him by marriage."

"Why did you say that?" the Doctor quizzed her in hushed tones.

Donna shrugged her shoulders. "It's sort of true, isn't it?"

"The question is, Doctor, can you help my husband?" the Queen brought their attention back to her by asking.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Research? What's that then? And you might have noticed that I'm not sticking to the official script.

* * *

**Part Four**

.

"Of course he can," Donna answered confidently.

"Donna, fixed point," the Doctor stuttered out whilst clamping his teeth, hoping she would get the significance after some of their recent adventures.

"But you can help him, can't you? I know you can ease his pain," Donna told him insistently.

What could the Doctor say after that? He didn't want to break her faith in him. "Would you please lead the way to my patient, your majesty," he said to the Queen.

* * *

Fortunately the Doctor had made the servants leave him alone with the King as he carried out his tests, with only Donna to assist him. "You're right, Donna. I can help him. This case of porphyria has been caused by the presence of an alien creature residing within the King's body," he explained as he read the scan results on his sonic screwdriver.

"Really? The poor man! No wonder he suffered," she said compassionately. "What sort of creature exactly?"

"I have a theory but I'm just going to double check with the servant who deals with the chamber pot, and then I'll be right back," he promised as he made his way out of the room.

Donna watched him go without any misgivings. She soon changed her mind when the King woke up.

"Good day," the King greeted her when he opened his eyes. "May I know what vision of beauty greets me from my slumbers?" He practically leered at her as he stumbled out of the bed.

Donna blushed at the compliment. "I am Donna Noble, your majesty. I came with the Doctor, my erm… my brother-in-law, who will make you feel better," she quickly explained as she took a step back from him. Was it her or was the King about to behave weirdly under the influence of his condition, she wondered.

"You have been brought here to make me better? I like this medicine immeasurably," the King stated, and then pounced on her with great determination.

A loud piercing scream brought the Doctor racing into the room; fortunately he hadn't been very far away. He found Donna lying on the floor and the King, clad in only his bed clothes, on top of her, attacking the neckline of her dress. The Doctor instantly injected the King with a tranquiliser substance and guided his now semi-conscious body to the floor before rushing over to check on Donna.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you? What did he do?" he anxiously asked as he pulled her into his arms and checked her over.

She winced when he touched her shoulder. The King had clearly bitten her; the wound was large and ugly. "It's all my fault. I knew from the film he could get uncharacteristically frisky but I didn't expect it to happen to me," she told him as he continued to look concerned. "Just help the King, please! He needs to get rid of that horrible parasite."

He tenderly stroked her cheek, needing to offer her more than the barest consolation. "Okay, I'll give him the antivenom," the Doctor reluctantly agreed. "But then we are heading straight for the TARDIS medbay," he sternly told her, and was relieved when she nodded in agreement.

The Doctor gave the King a dose of antivenin and then ran the sonic screwdriver over his body. The King glowed fiercely silvery for several seconds as the sonic encouraged the antivenom to do its job, and then the Doctor sighed with relief. "One parasitic lugaborus removed from the system of the King of England," he stated.

Donna stood stiffly, adjusting her dress and watching the Doctor work with keen interest. "Lugubrious whatsit? What's one of them when it's at home?" she queried.

"Unusual species; utterly fascinating. This is only the second time I've seen one in the flesh, as it were. They come all the way from The Thialeon Nebulous, probably on a comet," he enthused in explanation. "Now to clear up our mess."

They got the King to walk back into his bed, put away the vials the Doctor had used, and then the Doctor took Donna firmly by the hand. "Will he be okay now?" she asked softly, nodding her head towards the King but keeping her gaze fixed firmly on the Doctor.

He took the risk of leaning forward and placing a kiss on her forehead. "He will be now. He can go to Parliament and take back the crown from his scheming son," he told her in hushed tones, lest the King overheard them.

Donna felt his lips on her skin and had to fight off her reaction of forcing him to kiss her full on the mouth. He obviously had her firmly set in his mind as a friend and quasi-sister. "Then we'd better get out of here before I'm tempted to jump the first good looking bloke I meet." The Doctor quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at her, so she quickly added, "Just in case the parasite starts affecting me straight away."

He did nothing more than wrap her hand around his forearm and led her out of the bed chamber. He told himself that he wanted to get her away in case she did jump some bloke, and was not doing so in case the man in question could be him.

Outside the door was assembled the Queen and her ladies in waiting. "Your majesty, King George will sleep for four hours when he will wake and demand water. Do not allow him anything but wine until tomorrow," he said to the Queen.

"Thank you, Lord Doctor and your…" The Queen then gave a curious glance at the ring on Donna's finger and then the evident bite mark on her neck, wondering what it meant and what exactly the relationship was between this strange couple. "…sister-in-law, Lady Donna. We are most grateful."

Both the Doctor and Donna smirked at each other and then gave their goodbyes to an astonished household.

* * *

"Why did you insist that he only drank wine, Spaceman?" Donna asked as they headed back to the TARDIS.

"Well… I had to say something vague and mysterious, didn't I," he argued. "Wouldn't be primitive medicine otherwise, and I'd rather avoid any mashed up animal parts thank you very much!"

They both giggled together as they walked through the doors. With a firm tug on her hand, he led her straight into the medbay.

"Sit down on the exam bed, young lady, and I'll see to that nasty bite mark," he ordered her. He then turned to seek out a dosage of antivenom to administer.

She tried to catch a glimpse of the bite mark that raged large and purple on her shoulder. "Will this leave me with any lasting effects? Hopefully I won't go doolally for days at a time."

"No, but it might come out in any child you have in the future, so you will have to be extra careful," the Doctor warned her as he tenderly cleaned the wound.

"Me, have a child? I very much doubt that now, Timeboy. I am well past my sell by date in that regard, and I'd have to capture a potential father first!" she snorted derisively. "Let's face it, the only person who was remotely interested in me was…"

The word "you" hung heavily in the air between them, like the Sword of Damocles, as they both held their breath in shock.

"Donna, I…," he started to say, but Donna halted him with a raised hand.

"Don't go there, Doctor. Please don't," she said tearfully.

She was relieved when he immediately engulfed her in a comforting hug. It was no good, he had to stroke her hair and press soft kisses on her temple; only an ogre wouldn't have done so at the sight of her tears.

Donna clung to him, needing his comfort; taking anything he was willing to offer. She was even more grateful he was hugging her when the TARDIS suddenly tipped sideways momentarily. "The navigation circuits seem to be off again," he commented close to her ear.

"I suppose it wouldn't be such a problem if you had someone to help you steer once in a while," she remarked.

There was a reverberating chuckle in his chest right against her head. "You're right about that," he stated. "Perhaps I ought to teach you how to pilot her and help me?"

"Would you?" she asked brightly, pulling away to catch his expression to see if he meant it.

He nodded his agreement. "I'd love it! We'll start as soon as you feel up to a lesson."

* * *

It seemed like a r_eally_ good idea when he first suggested it, but the actual teaching Donna part of the TARDIS driving lesson was proving to be more taxing for the Doctor than he had foreseen.

He had placed his body protectively behind her, and moved her hands underneath his to start with; guiding their path over the controls. She had a natural talent for it and soon was adjusting levers and pressing buttons on her own, with the odd hint from him. But he had stayed close by; very close by, just in case. 'Just in case I forget the smell of the perfume on her nape, the softness of her creamy skin, the pattern of her freckles, the glow of her hair, and the feel of her warmth pressed up against me,' his treacherous mind told him.

He closed his eyes briefly in ecstasy as she moved in front of him, wafting her various scents for him to taste and admire. Not only that, but Donna was enjoying this learning experience enormously, making his hearts sing for him.

There was a particular bump in their transit through the Vortex, and he wondered if he could risk holding onto her waist when the sound of a mobile phone rang out, startling them both.

* * *

Cautiously the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS to see what Martha exactly wanted with him. "Martha Jones!" he greeted her with a hug.

"Good to see you, Doctor," she replied as she released her hold on him. "Did you come alone?"

"Not exactly," he hesitantly answered, glancing briefly at the nearby TARDIS doors. "I brought a friend with me."

Martha was just asking, "Who…?" when Donna emerged, smiling warmly. "Donna!" she cried and leapt forward to hug her. "How have you been?"

"Fine," Donna answered. "You're probably wondering how I got here; but first of all, tell me about that ring."

"What ring?" the Doctor queried in confusion.

"The engagement ring flashing on her finger, you prawn! And you reckon you notice everything," Donna scoffed fondly, batting at his chest. She giggled when he caught her hand and held it there to prevent its movement. "Hopefully she's bagged herself a good'un."

"Oh he is," confirmed Martha. "His name is Dr Tom Milligan; he is a paediatrician, and he is currently working in Africa."

Donna made a noise of approval. "He sounds lovely!" she enthused as she admired the ring.

At that moment Martha's walkie-talkie squawked, and Martha burst into action as dozens of soldiers appeared.

The Doctor and Donna stood dumbfounded as all this happened, and they unconsciously moved closer together.

* * *

They stood looking down at the factory floor as UNIT rounded up the employees for Martha to examine. Donna turned to the Doctor to thoughtfully consider, "Now that we're back on Earth you do know that we ought to go and visit Mum and Gramps, don't you."

He slightly blanched. "Do we have to?" he blurted out before realising that sounded awful! "I mean, obviously we should, but don't you think we should finish with all of this first and then go and let them know you are okay?"

She chuckled at his demise and reached out a hand to take his. "I'll save you, Spaceman; for the time being. But we will have to face the music eventually, and I understand, I really do, if you want to totally avoid them," she said softly.

He smiled back his thanks. "I know you do, but if I can face the latest invading aliens I can go and greet your family as me; if you can bear going with me in tow."

"Of course I can," she insisted. "Come here, you prawn!" She opened her arms wide in invitation and he quickly took the hint, hugging her close.

Both of them treasured this moment of intimacy amid a sea of alien chaos. "Does this mean you'll come to the Rattigan Academy with me?" he asked as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo.

"Try stopping me," she answered. "Although, meet one genius and you've met them all."

They laughed together as they continued their embrace.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** You all know what happened in The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky, so I've not bothered with the plots of them too much.

* * *

**Part Five**

.

Poor Martha! It wasn't every day that an alien race tried to clone you and almost got away with it. Except they hadn't really; the Doctor had been well aware that her clone was walking around the factory and had completely used it to his advantage.

"Can't we invite Martha back to the TARDIS for a bit of a catch-up, Doctor?" Donna asked him. "We've hardly had a chance to talk." Part of her reason was a large dose of guilt too.

"Oh, alright!" he pretended to huff. "We'll come back and get her once we've seen your family." He supposed he owed it to Martha to fan the flames of their friendship, even though a part of him wanted to keep the TARDIS to just him and Donna for now. But, he internally reasoned, if things went pear-shaped at Donna's mum's Martha would prove to be a useful buffer and distraction.

* * *

A very bemused UNIT driver, named Private Ross Jenkins, drove and dropped the Doctor and Donna off at her family home. He was the same one that had driven them to the Rattigan Academy, and had been highly amused with the way they'd dismissed Luke Rattigan and his spoilt brat routine. They'd not been so dismissive when Luke arranged for their vehicle to almost dive into the river! The little…

On the way to the Mott/Noble household Donna had repeatedly offered the driver the chance to go in and have some tea, but he had politely declined, saying he would wait patiently for them. "This looks nice," the Doctor commented as the van pulled up outside the house.

Donna could tell he was very nervous about this visit; and he had every right to be. This could go any number of ways, and not many of them would be to his advantage. "Thanks for doing this," she said as they climbed out of the vehicle and said their temporary farewells to their new friend Ross.

The Doctor gave her a grateful smile. "They need to know who you've been spending time with for the last few weeks, and I'll have to see them sometime so we might as well get it over and done with."

"You make it sound like you are facing a firing range," she teased. "They liked you last time," she reminded him.

"Yes, but I was a potential son-in-law then and not a zombie," he argued as they made their way up the small driveway.

"Play your cards right and you still might be," she joked. Without waiting for his response, Donna dragged out her keys from her pocket and opened the street door. "Mum, Gramps! I'm home!"

"Is that you, Donna?" called back the voice of her mother, from somewhere near the kitchen.

"It had better be, or you've got weird burglars. Is the kettle on; we're gasping?" Donna yelled.

"Who's 'we'?" Sylvia asked as she appeared in the kitchen doorway. She could see a man behind Donna but she couldn't make out much more than that.

"Mum, I've got a bit of a surprise for you," Donna said using the understatement of the year. "This is a close relative of John's. Meet my friend the Doctor," she introduced him.

"How close?" Sylvia demanded before she could stop herself.

"Same parents… Nice to meet you, Mrs Noble," the Doctor said as he offered his hand to shake.

Sylvia very cautiously shook his hand and quickly dropped it, staring at him all the time. "You're the spitting image of him, except for the hair," she stated as though in a trance. "Doctor?" Sylvia echoed Donna quizzically as the name sunk in.

"You know, like Sting, Bono or Twiggy," Donna said in explanation. "He's called that because he's a right know it all," she added cheekily.

"Oi!" the Doctor protested. "I do not act... Okay, I do a bit," he added with a knowing smile.

"Told you," Donna sing-songed to her mother. "You can ask him almost anything and he'll know the answer; although he might not know when we'll eventually get this cup of tea..."

"Alright, missy; I get the picture. I suppose the pair of you had better come in and tell me what you've been up to since I last saw you," Sylvia pretended to gripe as she led them through to the kitchenette at the back of the house.

They had just sat down at the kitchen table when Wilf appeared looking a bit flustered after his run down the stairs. "Did I hear our Donna's voice at the door, and someone else's?" he asked before spotting her. "Donna! Oh my word I've missed you!" he puffed out as she raced to be embraced by him. They gave each other a loving squeezy hug before releasing one another. "Are you here alone?"

"No, I'm with someone, Gramps." She stepped aside to give him a better view, and indicated towards her companion. "This is my friend; he's a close relative of John's that goes by the name of the Doctor, like some rock star."

"Can he sing like one?" Wilf asked before he focused properly on the newcomer, and gasped in shock. "Close! I'd bloody say they are identical," he declared.

The Doctor quickly stood and offered his hand. "It's lovely to finally meet you, Mr Mott; I've heard so much about you all. John was the same as me in lots of ways, but obviously I'm better looking," he joked.

"Of course," Wilf pretended to agree. "You can call me Wilf, if you like. It must be awkward with people like me mistaking you for him. You look and sound so alike."

The Doctor's face turned grim. "It's a mixed blessing, especially with him so recently dying and fresh in people's memories. John was everything I could be," he said sadly. Donna took his hand in consolation, watched by several pairs of concerned eyes.

"He was a decent bloke, and he made my girl very happy before those bastards killed him; excuse my French. Hanging ain't good enough for them!" Wilf exploded in angry indignation.

The Doctor was shocked and amazed. He knew the family had liked John but he hadn't realised quite how much. In that moment he felt extra guilt weigh upon him that he had caused them so much unnecessary pain. He was thankful when Donna seemed to guess his thoughts and gave his hand an extra squish.

"What did you do with them photos you took, Dad? Perhaps the Doctor would like to have a look? There were some nice ones of Geoff and John," Sylvia suggested as she placed a fresh mug of hot tea in front of her father.

It was instantly agreed that he would go and dig them out; but Donna was feeling very apprehensive. She gave the Doctor an 'I'm alright' smile when he frowned at her in concern. She could do this; this would be her first major hurdle in dealing with this situation. Of course her mum and Gramps would want to show off the brief life she had had with John; it was only natural, so she steeled herself to see those precious photos again.

Wilf shuffled in with joy, presenting them with a bulging photo album obviously stuffed with more photos then it could handle. "Here you are," he said as he placed the album down on the table in front of the Doctor, "Here's all of our treasures."

The Doctor got the whole grand tour; photos of Donna's grandmother Eileen, Sylvia through the ages, young Geoff proudly holding his daughter, and tons of Donna as she grew up. At the end were a few of John with either Geoff, Donna or both. "If I'd realised his time was short I'd have taken more," Wilf explained apologetically to the Doctor.

"That's okay," he answered softly. "None of us know how long we've got."

"What's in the envelope?" Donna suddenly asked as she spied an unknown manila envelope sitting amongst the photos.

Sylvia immediately acted sheepish. "Those were sent over by someone called Graham for you to keep, but I didn't..."

Donna had snatched up the envelope and removed the contents at this point. On seeing the photos within, she had dropped them in shock and clasped her hands firmly over her mouth, desperately trying to hold in the tears that flowed readily.

"Donna?" Wilf asked with great unease. "Is everything alright?"

"I can't...," she stuttered out; she then pushed back her chair and raced off.

The Doctor had fanned out the three pictures that now lay on the table and saw they were of Donna and John in their Halloween costumes, posing and then dancing together. It was clearly evident that they had been extremely happy together. The Doctor felt his hearts constrict in his chest. "I'll go to her," he said decisively as he stood and followed her up the stairs.

Taking a deep breath, knowing their future relationship could depend on this moment, he lightly tapped on her old bedroom door. "Can I come in, Donna?" he called out as quietly as he could.

There was a muffled reply of "Yes!"

He cautiously turned the handle and opened the door, peeping in to see where she was and what exactly she was doing. She was seated on the edge of the bed frantically shredding a tissue in her agitation. She turned her blotched and tearful face towards him and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," he gently insisted. He crossed the short space between them, sat down on the bed next to her, and pulled her into a close embrace. "Nothing at all," he whispered into her hair. "This is my fault for making this harder for you."

She shook her head against his neck. "No it isn't! This is me being stupid by seeing those photos and missing John like mad," she insisted in low tones.

He lifted her head and gently thumbed away some of her tears. "You don't have to miss him. John is here, in me, missing you like crazy too." He smiled softly and stroked her hair. "I'm here with you every day, whenever you need me. Just reach out and I'll be there."

A slight mischievous glint appeared in her eye. "Are you quoting old love songs at me?" she asked.

He quickly kissed her forehead while he had the chance. "Might be... Is that allowed?"

"We'll discuss later what's allowed. I suppose I'd better go back downstairs and explain us to Mum. I can tell I'm going to get the third degree," she answered.

He huffed angrily. "You do not have to explain a thing! If she wants to think the worse then let her; we know the truth. We know where our relationship stands and it is nowhere near sleazy. I don't know why people have such a hard time accepting our friendship, but I want you to know that I shall always be eternally grateful we found each other, Donna Noble," he stated sincerely.

"Thank you, Doctor," she said in equal tones. "I'm glad too."

Wilf heard the last piece of their conversation when he reached the landing outside Donna's bedroom, and was immensely proud to hear it as he hovered guilty listening to them. They were both fine, upstanding young people. He instantly resolved to reward the Doctor by showing him his telescope. He then casually rapped on the doorframe of the door as it stood ajar. "If anyone is interested, there's fresh tea on the go," he offered, and was met with two very pleased faces.

At the first opportunity, Wilf bustled off to entice the Doctor to view his prized telescope, leaving Donna with the prospect of her mother. She instantly knew that the Doctor would have a better time of it, pleased that he had been accepted by her family despite their fears.

It didn't take long for the questions to start. "Donna, what are you playing at? You're only storing up trouble going about with John's twin brother. Did you know he had a twin?" Sylvia anxiously asked when she got Donna alone doing the washing up.

"Mum, it isn't like that! We're friends and nothing else," Donna insisted. "I knew about the Doctor but I only met him a few weeks ago, and we hit it off."

"I bet you did!" Sylvia scoffed. "He obviously sees you as easy meat, and you are just using him."

Donna felt her temper flare. "Mum! I love John and always will; meeting up with the Doctor hasn't changed that. And anyway…" Her words that were going to explain why the Doctor wasn't interested fell away from her mouth when she spotted the Doctor standing ashen in the doorway.

"Did you want something, love?" Sylvia asked him, hoping he hadn't heard their cross words.

"I erm…" He lifted up two mugs. "I brought these down for Wilf to be washed up," he said weakly, and hastily placed them next to the sink. He exchanged a grief-stricken look with Donna, and then raced back to the friendliness Wilf was offering.

They were both left wondering if there was any hope left that they could build their relationship to something more meaningful.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** You all know what happened in The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky, so you'll be aware that I'm ignoring most of the plot.

* * *

**Part Six**

.

"How did the family reunion go?" Ross asked them as soon as they clambered in to his van.

"Fine," the Doctor answered, keen to reassure him their journey had been worthwhile.

Donna kept schtum next to him, knowing he was putting on a brave face and that he would only talk to her about it once they were alone back home in the TARDIS. Of course part of that problem would be the presence of Martha, she realised; so she resolved to catch him either before Martha appeared or wait until she could sneak some time alone with him later.

Luck was on her side when they got back to the factory because Martha had agreed to accompany them once she had gone to collect her possessions from the UNIT mobile van.

"Spaceman, I need to apologise for what you overheard in the kitchen," Donna began as soon as the coast was clear.

"That's alright, Donna," he tritely answered; just as she knew he would.

She quickly placed her hands on his upper arms. "No, it isn't alright," she disagreed. "I was ranting at Mum for thinking the worse and I said something that upset you. For that I am truly sorry."

"I told you it was fine," he rephrased himself.

"I know what you told me, and I know what I saw. Mum was trying to protect me but she really rattled my cage! I need you to see that I'm not using you as some substitute; I really value our friendship." She lifted a hand to caress his cheek as she added, "I really do."

He took hold of her hand on his cheek and was about to kiss her palm when Martha appeared on the peripheries of his vision; forcing him to do a covering manoeuvre. He tugged lightly on her hand instead, saying, "Come on then, let's go home."

* * *

Donna and Martha nestled down onto the library sofa, glass of wine in hand, and feeling very full after their celebratory meal.

"Excuse me, ladies, while I go and deal with a little wiring problem," the Doctor said reluctantly. The atmosphere between him and Donna had improved and he had wanted to stay and chat with them but the TARDIS was very insistent that he got on with his task.

Donna reached out and gave his hand a consoling squeeze as he walked passed. "Don't worry, Spaceman. We'll save a glass of wine for you," she said with a soft smile that gladdened his hearts. "I won't let you go without."

"Thank you," he replied, placing his other hand over the top of hers. "I'll see you both later."

He left them together, and Martha couldn't wait to ask the questions she had been pondering for absolutely hours. "So… it's us again; girls together," she said quite impishly. "How have things been between the pair of you since you came onto the TARDIS?"

"Not bad, not bad at all," Dona readily replied. "Our adventures have been a little different to what I expected."

"In what way?" Martha inevitably asked.

"Well… there've been plenty of nasty aliens wanting to kill us, and there's been the odd bit of putting history right; but I hadn't anticipated everyone assuming we were married left right and centre across the universe!" Donna explained.

Martha laughed. "It must be very awkward for you both. I never got that sort of thing when I was with him. But then you two do have a certain vibe about you."

"What do you mean?" Donna curiously asked. She wasn't showing she was interested in the Doctor, was she? She dreaded becoming another complicated millstone around his neck.

Martha took a sip of her drink before she dropped her bombshell on Donna. "When you think about it, it's not exactly unlikely, is it? After all, you two know what each other look like naked," she reasoned.

Donna felt herself blush a deep red; she hadn't thought of it in those terms. That would explain all those furtive glances he sometimes gave her. Did he like what he saw anymore? John had been an ardent admirer of her figure, but, as she continually told herself, the Doctor was not John! "Yeah, I suppose there is that," she answered feebly as embarrassment gripped her. Instead of exploring the topic she decided to change the subject. "Does that apply to you and your Tom?" she asked mischievously, getting Martha to spout on about her fiancé for ages.

* * *

He knew before he went to sleep that the day had been dangerous in more than one way. Okay, he had almost been blown up in his quest to stop the Sontarans, but there had been a different dimension to it. He had been proving to himself that he wasn't infallible, that things could go wrong; that he didn't deserve to have Donna in his life…

That last one he believed most of all. Sometimes he caught her looking at him as though she was remembering him as John Smith; it was the way she had often regarded him when she thought he wasn't looking, with love and wonder. A lot… okay, all of those times he envied John Smith. And that was a dangerous thought to have before you sleep, because sleep often brings wish fulfilment.

In this particular dream he was lying back in that bed with Donna, stroking each other's bare flesh with tender sweeps that progressively became playful, teasing and seductive. He smiled at her, loving how soft her skin felt beneath his fingertips; loving how she made him feel. Unable to resist any longer, he brought his mouth up against hers to kiss her sensually. "I love you, Donna," he said breathily. "Marry me."

Her eyes lit up in happiness. "Me? You want me?" she asked in astonishment, waiting for him to show with a nod that he meant it. "Yes please!" she squealed in excitement. She was then kissing him hungrily, pressing her body onto him. "I love you too; so very much, and I never thought I'd ever find you."

"You looked for me?" he practically squeaked in surprise as she pushed him down onto the bed.

"Everywhere. I had to find you, John," she told him.

"John? John! I'm not John!" he yelled, pushing her away. "That isn't even close to my real name!"

She gasped in shock, holding out her hands towards him as her body slipped away, further and further away from him as he tried to catch her with his hands. Nothing worked as she fell away from him and he was left calling out feebly, knowing she was falling to her death. All he could do was call out her name constantly. "Donna! Donna!" he shouted, half sobbing as he did so.

Something halted the words in his throat, and he jumped awake to find Donna standing over his sleeping form.

"Doctor, are you okay?" she asked anxiously. "I'm here; you were calling for me," she explained when he reacted with confusion. "It sounded like you were having a nightmare or something. Do you want me to get you anything?"

"I was erm…," he stammered, wondering if he had said anything else in his sleep. "I was trying to stop you falling," he felt able to confess as he pushed himself to sit up in his bed. "I saw you die…"

He looked so lost that she instinctively caressed his face and ran a hand through his hair; inadvertently halting his words. "It's okay, I'm not dead. I have no intention being so yet, anyway," she soothed him with gentle words. "I'm here for as long as you want me."

She would never have believed that his eyes could be so wide or soulful, filled with deep pain as he regarded her in the half-light; so when he murmured, "Stay with me, please," it took no effort to wrap her arms around his shaking shoulders and hold him to her tightly.

He felt a slight shiver run through her. "Are you cold?" he asked, determined not let her go unless she was adamant that she wanted to leave.

"A bit," she answered honestly.

"You can get in if you want," he offered shyly. "I don't mean in that way but… can you stay a bit longer?"

So he wanted her to be his human teddy bear, did he? She could cope with that, she decided. "Go on then, shove over," she replied quickly before she lost her nerve.

He tried to slow his breathing down as it tried to race away with his excitement. Donna Noble was going to climb into i_his_/i bed, knowing full well it was him and not John! Wriggling with her in his arms, he moved sideways and made room for her to get in. "Thank you," he whispered as he lowered them down onto the mattress. "I promise not to make a habit of this."

"That's okay," she said with a giggle. She was giggling because he was being so incredibly sweet, and because she was nervous. What if she did something really stupid and treated him as if he were John? Surely she wouldn't be that stupid! Still clutching him lightly, she laid down in his bed, unable to believe that he would have welcomed her in in any shape or form.

"Good night, Donna," he said before placing a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"Good night, Doctor," she replied, placing an equally chaste kiss on his cheek.

They then snuggled together, both making the most of this moment, and fell fast asleep.

* * *

Martha sat in the kitchen wondering where the heck the pair of them had got to. It wasn't like the Doctor to dillydally in the morning, or what passed for morning in the TARDIS. Normally he was up with the larks, irritatingly being cheerful in your face while you stumbled to reach consciousness. After thirty or so minutes of waiting without a sign of them, she resolved to go and investigate.

The first room she came to down the bedrooms corridor was Donna's. For some reason the door was wide open and the covers were flung back, but there was nothing to suggest Donna was inside. "Donna?" she called out at the doorway, but there was no answer. Cautiously Martha dipped her head around the door to the en suite bathroom, but Donna was nowhere to be found.

Curiosity drove Martha a further down the corridor until she reached the door that she assumed was the Doctor's. Politely knocking on it gave her no reply or shout from within. "What do I do?" she raised her eyes to ask the TARDIS.

To her surprise her answer was the door very slowly opening to leave just enough space for her to peep in. "You want me to have a gander," Martha stated to the TARDIS. "You'd better not be getting me into trouble doing this!"

Double checking by glancing both ways down the corridor, Martha then bobbed her head inside the room. It was very dark in there, and for a few seconds she couldn't see a thing. And then she spotted him in the bed; or should that be them? Two people were snuggled together; one spooned in behind the other, sleeping peacefully, apart from the odd twitch. As she watched, the Doctor's arm moved to tightened slightly around Donna's waist and he rubbed his chin against her shoulder. All Donna did in response was mumble something about tea, of all things, and then briefly caress his arm.

Martha clamped her hand over her mouth in disbelief. They hadn't acted as though they had continued their previous relationship; okay, they had exchanged the odd intimate touch, but things had not seemed to be more than friendly. Or was that extremely friendly? It had definitely been more than how normal friends behaved, but nowhere near as friendly as they had previously been.

Should she even ask them about this? For the time being she chose to pretend she didn't know and see how it played out.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** And now the awkward bit. I should point out that colloquially "to have a cob on" means being in a bad mood [I don't make these sayings up, honest!].

* * *

**Part Seven**

.

They both stirred from sleep, enjoying the warmth gained from a shared bed; and both remembering that it had been quite a while since they had experienced such a phenomenon. The Doctor was enjoying his predicament enormously. Well, who wouldn't be pleased they were pressed up against the back of Donna Noble? He certainly wasn't going to argue the toss, given recent events. With sheer delight, he nuzzled into the crook of her neck, and wrapped his arm around her waist; determined to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of the situation as he breathed in the scent of her skin.

Donna found herself encased within the Doctor's half embrace; he could not have been wrapped around her more closely if he had tried. She silently begged him not to wake up yet; not to move away from her as she made the most of being the centre of his attention, even if he happened to be fast asleep at the time. Of course thoughts of John came filtering through; about how aroused John would have been if he was in a similar situation, and she briefly let her thoughts meander down that dangerous path. If the Doctor was aroused would it mean that she had caused it, their situation together, or his dreams about his missing love? Suddenly she didn't want to know the answer, because whatever it was, she was bound to be upset by it.

His soft breaths against her neck brought her out of her musings and sent a thrill down her body. "Good morning," the Doctor then murmured into her ear. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Fine thank you; did you?" she asked in return. She was pleased to note that he gave her an added squeeze at that point.

"Very well, thanks to you," he answered with clear delight in his voice.

She immediately squirmed as he accidentally caught a ticklish spot with his fingertips on her midriff, causing a delicious frisson to course through him. Inevitably Donna started to turn towards him in his embrace. "Donna, I…" He risked ghosting his lips over her mouth, wanting desperately to follow through.

"John," she groaned out as he did so, and immediately gasped in shock. She'd blown it; she knew she had. What on earth had possessed her to do that? Well, she knew exactly why, but it was daft nevertheless. "Sorry; I'm so sorry," she quickly stated, hoping against hope that she had halted the downward spiral her potential love life was now taking.

Unfortunately she hadn't, and the Doctor pulled away from her in horror to create distance between them. It was horror at what he had almost done, and horror at how she still evidently felt about him in comparison. It clearly wasn't him she wanted to kiss her; all he was good for was cuddling her whenever she needed it.

A bitter taste welled up in his mouth. "Excuse me," he almost spat out, and raced toward the en suite bathroom to rinse it away as he washed his face. When he emerged from doing so his bed was empty, and so were his hopes.

* * *

"Morning!" Martha brightly greeted him when he eventually made it into the kitchen. "How are you today, Doctor?"

He forced himself not to slump over the sink as he filled up the kettle despite his depressed mood. "I'm fine. How are you? And have you seen Donna yet?" he answered, keeping his back to her.

So he was playing it like that, was he? Martha wondered how long he would pretend that Donna hadn't spent the night in his bed. At least this time he couldn't blame her for allowing it to happen. "I'm okay, but I haven't seen Donna in here this morning. Do you normally take her breakfast in bed?"

He turned and frowned at her in confusion. "What makes you think that? I might have done a few times, but not…," he blustered on, wondering why she was asking. "No, that isn't the usual arrangement."

Martha wanted to giggle at him. She'd never seen him so flustered. If she was honest, she wanted to gain some revenge from him. To add to her potential enjoyment Donna appeared looking very furtive.

"Hello everyone," Donna greeted them both as she shuffled in and began to eye up her breakfast options. "Is there any tea on the go?"

"I've just put the kettle on," the Doctor cagily answered, trying not to look at Donna directly.

Oh, they've had a row, Martha concluded; some sort of lovers' tiff. Maybe she should keep out of it completely? "I'm just going to brush my teeth and sort something out before I have another cup," she declared, getting up out of her seat. "I'll see you in a minute."

Left on their own, there was an awkward silence between the Doctor and Donna as they glanced anywhere except at each other.

Practicalities! Yes, practicalities helped things along. So they bustled about, preparing tea, toast and possible items to spread on the toast. Hardly a word had been spoken by the time they were sitting opposite each other at the kitchen table with their breakfast.

It was only then that Donna took a brave step toward patching things up between them. "Before Martha gets back, I wanted to say that I erm… I liked waking up this morning like we did," she said as she flicked a glance to where Martha could possibly be standing. Fortunately she wasn't, so Donna felt able to continue, "I more than liked it."

The Doctor retained a hurt and puzzled expression. "What are you trying to tell me? That you like being cuddled? I got the impression you wanted it to be John instead."

Donna flinched. Yes, he was holding that against her. Reaching out, she took hold of the back of his hand. It had to be admitted and then thrown away, she felt. "I won't deny that I miss John still, but I wasn't lying with John and I was well aware of that, right up until you…"

He turned his hand underneath hers, so that he could hold her hand properly. "Until I…?" he encouraged softly.

She gulped nervously. "You kissed me… I mean almost kissed me." It was no good; she couldn't look him directly in the face, so she ducked her head away. "No one has tried to since J… and you…" She lifted her teary eyes to appeal to him. "You're so much alike that I forgot for a second, and I'm sorry! I know that you were just acting like a bloke, and I could have been anyone at that moment and you'd have made a move, but… it was wrong to say that. "

The TARDIS told the Doctor that Martha was making her way back toward them, so he knew he had to be quick. "Oh Donna, we have so much to talk about with this; and I promise we'll sort this out later," he said in one breath. He sorely wanted to embrace her closely, to lovingly caress her face, sweep away those tears and possibly do so with tender kisses; but his window of opportunity was closing fast. Instead he listed her hand up to his lips before saying, "We'll try again tonight."

* * *

The Doctor kept Donna near to him as they stepped out of the TARDIS and found themselves in a tunnel of some sort. They were greeted by some soldiers; not the first time that had happened and probably wouldn't the last. Martha wisely dove out of the way as rough hands grabbed them and their hands were forced into the workings of a machine. Both he and Donna yelped with pain as something nipped at them, and they quickly withdrew their hands to find a nasty cut.

These people were babbling on about children of the machine when an explanation was demanded; and then the surprise of their life happened. One of those automatic public toilet type machines suddenly buzzed into life, the door swished open and out stepped a young woman who looked extremely familiar. Dressed in a semi-khaki uniform, she grinned knowingly at both the Doctor and Donna and greeted them individually. "Hello Dad! Hello Mum!"

"What?" the Doctor inevitably exclaimed, while Donna just looked completely dumbfounded.

"Is she your daughter?" Martha immediately asked them.

"Oh yes!" the girl declared. "I was generated by the machine."

There was then a sound behind, a cry of "It's the Hath!" and then there was a loud explosion. When the dust cleared their new daughter was clutching the detonator proudly and Martha was nowhere to be seen.

That was it! There was no way the Doctor would accept her now having committed such an act of violence against their friend, possibly killing her in the process. Normally Donna would have intercepted; calmed things down, but she was still reeling. The girl had called her Mum after all, and she thought such words would never be directed at her, that her sole chance had gone.

The leader of these soldier people was called General Cobb. Yeah, he had a right cob on, Donna thought; so it was a pretty apt name. All the bloke did was try to order them about, which of course the Doctor took exception to; so the inevitable occurred. They found themselves arrested and being marched to a jail cell pretty sharpish.

Blimey! The last thing the Doctor had expected was to father a child with Donna, so to speak. Not that he counted that act of vandalism as conception; and the fact that they had forced him… them… to supply DNA to mass produce a soldier for their ridiculous war enraged him.

Donna could see he was fuming and projecting that anger onto the girl, who looked entirely baffled as to why he was ignoring her. She had to build a bridge between them; she couldn't leave things as they were. Following her instincts, she grasped his hand and began to speak to the girl. "We have to find a name for you if you are going to stay with us," Donna began; ignoring the way the Doctor flinched at her words. "How about…? Generated anomaly…? Jenny! What do you think?" she asked the girl as brightly as she could.

The truth was, Donna was having problems herself accepting that this girl could be her flesh and blood; but that didn't mean she had to act like a complete cow towards her, so she was relieved when the girl smiled brightly back.

"Yes! I like the name Jenny. And what do I call you? Is it okay to use 'Mum' or should I say something else?" the newly-named Jenny asked expectantly.

"Oh, I… erm…," Donna floundered for a few seconds and shot a glance at the Doctor, who was determinedly not offering any help as they continued walking. "Your dad and me think that's fine." That got a reaction from the Doctor; but she wouldn't allow him to remove his hand from her grasp.

"Thanks, Mum!" Jenny said with glee; and the Doctor sighed.

* * *

They'd been sitting in the cell for what seemed like ages. When Jenny went to peer through the cell door bars anxiously, Donna nudged the Doctor's shoulder. "Aren't you going to give her the whole Time Lord spiel that you normally give? Let her know what your side of the family are like?" she whispered.

"Donna, she isn't part of my family in any way whatsoever! My children are all dead, and she is just an echo of us both," he said hoarsely.

"Oh, I'm sorry about your children but how can you be so cruel?" Donna cried out in dismay. "You've had your chance in the past but she could be my last living…" She then clamped a hand over her mouth to stop any further words coming out.

His expression immediately changed to concerned. "What do you mean by 'last living'?" he wondered, shifting himself to look her directly in the eye.

"Nothing," she tried to say.

He took both of her hands within his, and held them on her lap. "It obviously isn't 'nothing'. Now tell me, please," he softly begged.

Jenny silently watched this exchange in wonder, wanting to know the answer too. This could have a vital knock-on effect with their relationship together.

Taking a deep breath, Donna uttered the words she thought she would never be able to say to him. "Just after you left, it happened; I lost our child."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** More awkwardness and the fateful bit.

**A/N2:** Sorry for the delay in posting this but RL sent me down for few days.

* * *

**Part Eight**

.

"Oh Donna! I'm so sorry," the Doctor told her sincerely as he felt his hearts crush under the strain of her news. He'd had a child; _they'd_ had a child together for a beautiful fleeting moment. A moment that they might never be able to gain again.

Jenny could not cope with the distraught expression on her father's face and instantly blurted out, "Lost? How did you lose your child, Mum? Did they wander off?"

The Doctor blankly informed her, "Donna means 'lost' in a 'losing soldiers in a war' sort of way."

"You let your child fight in a war?" she pressed on in puzzlement. "Don't you have enough soldiers?"

Donna choked back a sob. "Jenny love, I was pregnant but the baby died." She then felt arms comfortingly wrap around her, so she allowed the Doctor to engulf her in a hug whilst stroking her hair.

Jenny watched their behaviour in bewilderment. "But I don't understand…. What's 'pregnant'? And why did the baby die?"

There was a tremble from Donna as she lay within the Doctor's arms. He was too stunned to take in this bizarre situation. "Can I explain all that later, when we get back home in the TARDIS? You are upsetting Donna tremendously with your questions." The look of protest on Jenny's face made him add firmly, "It can wait."

Jenny's face turned ashen. "Okay, Dad. Sorry, Mum. I didn't mean to make you cry," she apologised, wanting to desperately make Donna feel better.

"Don't worry, Jenny; you didn't know. When John left the baby was all I had for a few weeks," she tried to partly explain.

"Dad's name is John? But I thought you call him 'Doctor'," Jenny commented.

"I do, among other things; but his name back then was only John," Donna replied, trying to smile at Jenny to reassure her.

"Donna, you don't have to say anything here," the Doctor consoled her, still holding her tightly.

She smiled up at him fondly. "I know, Spaceman, but if I don't say it now I might never want to." Donna then turned to Jenny to add, "I loved John very much…"

"Don't you love Dad now?" Jenny interrupted her. "Or am I getting the wrong idea of what love is?"

Donna coughed nervously as embarrassment threatened to overtake her. "I do but in a different way now," she quietly confessed.

"Donna, don't," the Doctor pleaded with her. "Everything can be examined later."

"But that's the trouble with us; we keep putting off talking through things. Look at the trouble we got into this morning in bed…" Donna then almost bit her tongue as she halted her words.

The Doctor looked mortified. "Not in front of the child. I promise we will discuss everything, but a prison cell is not the place for this. Perhaps we should concentrate on getting out of here?"

Jenny had loads of questions floating about in her brain. Her download had omitted lots of facts and social situations. It was extremely tempting to start asking some of those questions, but her father's tone had made her rethink doing so. Instead she decided to reposition herself next to the cell door while her parents sorted themselves out and came up with a plan, moving as slowly as she could without drawing attention to herself.

"Are you angry with me?" Donna whispered to the Doctor. She couldn't bear the thought of alienating him.

He tenderly cupped her cheek. "What makes you think that?" he asked softly. "I'm shocked, and more than a little disappointed in myself for causing you such a large amount of grief; but I am not angry with you in the slightest."

"Not even for not telling you sooner? I was going to tell you but the chance never came up, and then I was frightened to," Donna admitted, keeping her eyes firmly on the Doctor's face, which stayed only inches away.

"Oh Donna!" he breathily said. "Am I that bad? I thought we were good friends if nothing else."

"We are, but… well… things are awkward whenever that time comes up when people talk. And it's not exactly the sort of thing you blurt out in everyday conversation, is it?" she reasoned.

He shook his head in agreement. "We will make this work, even though it's back to being me and you."

"And Jenny," Donna added as his face inched closer still. "We're a family now... well, sort of."

It was fascinating for Jenny to watch. They were being so loving and tender towards each other, and totally unaware of anything else in the cell in that moment. She held her breath as she waited to see what would happen next as her parents placed small intimate touches on one another; she was frightened to move in case she spoilt the atmosphere woven between them.

It continued to be fascinating for Jenny as she saw their mouths almost hone in to each other as she waited to see what would happen next; for she had never seen such actions before and wondered what the significance was.

The spell was instantly broken by some soldier shouting into the cell, "Dinner!" Three metallic plates were shoved into the cell through a purpose-built slot at the base of the cell door. Two items sat on each plate: what passed for bread and what presumably passed for meat.

When Jenny returned her attention to her parents they were both sitting bolt upright again, and were guiltily looking at her. "Shall we eat?" she asked them as pleasantly as she could, and passed over their delivered repast.

Thinking of her parents previous actions, she devised a plan for when the guard would return to collect their plates. During their meal she asked vague questions about the TARDIS and their life, trying to work out which topics were safe areas and which ones gained gestures of dismissal. Although her mother mentioned the fact that she was half human and half Time Lord. Jenny didn't miss the sneer her father gave at that definition.

"She can never be Time Lord," he had declared.

"Then give us your stethoscope. Let's find out," Donna had countered, stretching out her hand towards him as she obviously expected him to hand something over.

He withdrew an item from a pocket, an item that Jenny had no knowledge of, and Donna pressed one end to Jenny's chest and placed the other ends to her ears. There was a smug smile on Donna's lips as she ordered him, "Listen to this."

Jenny held in yet another question as her father listened and then staggered backwards in shock. "Is there something wrong?" she asked her mother instead.

"No, love. He's just having a problem accepting full fatherhood; but he'll be okay eventually. You are very special, Jenny, because he is no longer alone," Donna stated.

Jenny frowned in confusion. "More puzzles. You are with him, so how can he be alone?"

"You are more like him than me. You've got two hearts whereas I've only got one. That means you might be able to stay with him in a way that I can't." Donna then reached out and gently touched Jenny's head while aiming her next question at the Doctor. "Can you feel her, Spaceman? Is she part of your song?"

She turned when he replied, "Yes; she's there."

The sound of the returning guard distracted Jenny from finding out about his song, and she raced to the cell door to try out her plan. Before he had the chance to think, Jenny grabbed the guard by the lapels of his camouflage jacket, just as her mother had sought out her father, pulled him close and forced her mouth over the top of his. Fortunately the guard grabbed her back, and moved his lips upon hers. While he did that, Jenny stole the cell key and knocked him out with a well-placed hand to the base of the neck.

There were shocked gasps from behind her, but Jenny ignored that and tackled opening the lock of the door with gusto. "What? I got the door open, didn't I?" she questioned them with suppressed glee.

They quickly fled from the cell and headed out.

* * *

They didn't get far before all hell broke loose, with soldiers shouting at them and shots fired with the intention of killing. "RUN!" the Doctor shouted; and run they did!

It took several corridors later, and one soniced panel before they had any respite from the guns. Panting heavily, Donna assessed the condition of her new daughter. "Are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes, Mum! This is exciting. Do you always run this much?" Jenny beamed back at them. It was all too evident that she was having the time of her life.

Donna rolled her eyes at the Doctor. "She clearly takes after your side of the family; she's not whinged once about her shoes or anything."

He nudged her shoulder. "I think you're putting yourself down again; and she gets her looks from you."

"But she's a pretty girl!" Donna protested. "And she has your build."

"Of course she's pretty! As I said; she takes after you," he said distractedly as he examined a schematic on the wall behind them.

"Take no notice of your dad, Jenny. He's suffering from thingamabob," she commented drily. "A case of verbal diarrhoea."

He tsked at her. "You, Mrs Smith, are suffering from terminal modesty. You'd rather die than say something nice about yourself."

Jenny curiously saw the blush creep up Donna's face and then thought to question, "Why did you call Mum 'Mrs Smith'? I thought her name was Donna Noble."

"It is. He's just being funny about the name all the kids used to call me when we were… when I was at the school where I met John," Donna explained. "And look at that number! There's a definite pattern."

Jenny wanted to solve the puzzle of the numbers they kept seeing but she also wanted to hear more about her parents' history together. Donna was jotting down another number when Jenny asked, "Why did they call you 'Mrs Smith'?"

Without raising her gaze, Donna answered, "The kids got it into their heads that we were secretly married. The rumour was that we'd eloped, and before I knew it they had me preg…"

"What does 'eloped' mean?" thankfully Jenny then asked, avoiding that pitfall.

With relief, Donna said, "It's when a couple run off to get married rather than wait around to plan and have a marriage in front of their families. It's supposed to be very romantic because it implies you can't wait to be together forever."

"So it's a bit like you and Dad," persisted Jenny.

"Well," Donna spluttered, "it would be if we were like that, but we're not. I searched for him just to be his friend."

"Are you two going to come and look at what I've found or not?" the Doctor's voice cut across their conversation. He looked decidedly pleased with himself. "This is going to amaze you."

He led them through a doorway he had opened that first revealed a space rocket, and then through to an expansive room that was the beginning of a market garden. They were standing in wonder when a hand tapped Donna on the shoulder.

She spun round to see Martha grinning at her. "You almost gave me a bloody heart attack!" Donna cried out as she lunged forward and gave Martha a grateful welcoming hug. "It is so good to see you again. You must have had a journey and a half to find us."

Martha tearfully replied, "And the rest! I almost drowned in a tar pit of some sort, and my Hath friend died getting me out."

The Doctor joined in with the hug. "It's wonderful to have you back, Martha Jones."

"Dad!" Jenny said in warning; and they released each other in time to see General Cobb and his happy band of soldiers appear in the garden area with them.

"Doctor! I see you have led us to the sacred temple after all," Cobb declared. Then to everyone's astonishment Cobb withdrew a gun from his holster as he added, "And now your usefulness is over."

Donna saw Jenny move protectively towards her father and shouted to her, "Look out!" And then a gunshot sound rang out as Jenny slumped to the floor.

* * *

**To be concluded**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** And now the end… sort of.

* * *

**Part Nine**

.

"NO!" Donna screamed; and continued to do so until she raced over to Cobb. She lashed out, slapping him hard as she shouted at him, "You bastard! You shot my daughter! She was unarmed, you gutless utter bastard!"

It was only then that she realised why he hadn't tried to attack her in retaliation; he was being held down doggedly by his fellow soldiers.

The Doctor had reached Jenny's side milliseconds before Martha did. She frantically pressed down on the wound, her experience in A&E all too evident. "Doctor, you'll have to let go of her so that I can deal with her wounds properly," Martha told him firmly.

He released his hold and strode over to Cobb, glaring as he picked up the abandoned weapon and handed it over to another soldier, far from Cobb. "You may want to destroy all," the Doctor told Cobb, "but I would rather build a new world." With that he reached over and smashed the globe-like icon on the pedestal that they had all been drawn to look at.

As colours swirled all around them, Donna said in awe, "That's beautiful! It's changing everything."

"It was meant to. Biological engineering that kick starts the life force here. Or better known as the Breath of Life according to the panel we walked passed," the Doctor said as he joined her.

"Doctor, we need to get Jenny to the medbay as soon as possible! She's losing a lot of blood," Martha called out.

"We'll save her," the Doctor promised Donna in a whisper. "Nobody else dies today."

Fortunately some soldiers rushed forward with a makeshift stretcher. With a determined air, they picked Jenny up and carried her to the TARDIS.

* * *

After what seemed like hours later, having administered blood plasma supplied by the TARDIS that would normally be used for the Doctor himself, and removing the offending bullet from Jenny's body, it became a waiting game to see whether she would pull through or not. Martha had gone to rest for a short while to get a drink and power nap, leaving the Doctor to oversee things, and Donna to supervise him. She had felt that things were going as well as could be expected, but the new parents were panicking as much as she would have anticipated. Martha couldn't blame them because it had been very close at one point whether or not Jenny would survive. But Martha would not have walked away, however how temporary, unless she felt that things could get dramatically better. Her experience in A&E was proving to be invaluable.

Later on, Martha entered the medbay to find all was quiet and the Doctor and Donna were firmly snuggled up together in a large comfortable chair that the TARDIS had provided for them. Both were sound asleep, clasping each other; obviously tired out after their emotional day. She smiled at them in understanding as she turned her attention onto her patient.

Jenny was doing well, according to the readings the TARDIS was giving Martha. Vitals signs were much stronger, the botched together blood transfusion, containing elements of the Doctor and Donna's blood, had held and the tissue around the bullet wound was healing very nicely. That Time Lord DNA was finally paying off for Jenny; and them, her parents. Martha didn't think she would get the sight of Donna crying distraughtly out of her head in a hurry; so thank goodness the girl had pulled through. There was little doubt in Martha's mind that Donna would have suffered more than grief if Jenny had died; that girl meant so much to her. To the pair of her parents come to that, judging by the Doctor's frantic actions earlier.

The Doctor stirred, changing position in the chair ever so slightly, so Martha went over to gently touch his arm. "Why don't you two get off to bed? I can take over now, and Jenny is progressing well," she suggested to him.

He snuffled awake, looked lost for a few seconds and then beamed at her. "She is? That's marvellous! Thank you, Martha." He then tenderly caressed Donna's cheek to wake her. "Come on, Mrs Smith. Let's get you properly into bed," he crooned at her.

"What?" Donna jumped awake and blinked blearily at Martha. "Hello, Martha. Is there any news?"

"Yes, and all of it good. Now get to bed; that's an order," Martha told her with a chuckle. "I'll be here keeping an eye on things. I promise to keep you informed if anything changes."

Donna gratefully kissed Martha's cheek as she stood up, assisted by the Doctor. "We'll see you later then," she bade her farewell.

Martha watched them both saunter down the corridor towards a bedroom, hand in hand and in much healthier spirits than earlier then when they'd first entered the medbay.

* * *

They continued to enjoy walking hand in hand until they stopped outside Donna's bedroom and she looked at him shyly. "I suppose we ought to have that talk now… unless you're in a hurry to get to your own room," she suggested anxiously.

"No; no I'm not in any hurry," he confirmed. "I also think a talk would be good." He followed her in through the door and asked, "Where do you want to do this?"

"On the bed…," she began to say, but he had already clambered onto the bed to lie back on her pillows and had started to toe off his converses before the words were hardly out of her mouth. She briefly frowned at him.

"What?" he demanded, and patted the bed beside him in invitation. "Come and talk to me."

An amused smile flittered across her features. "So… what do you have to tell me?" she asked as she walked nearer. She allowed her hands to be captured by him and used to pull her down onto the bed beside him. He took no time in wrapping his arms around her body to draw her closer still.

"First of all, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you in any shape or form when you found out about the pregnancy. It was unforgiveable really. Especially when you consider that I should have been there to support you when your dad died," he began.

"I've already told you that I don't blame you. It was John who made those promises to me, not you; so there was no way I would expect you to do any more than you did," she answered as she adjusted her clothing so that she could lie down comfortably with him.

He sighed slightly in exasperation. "That child was mine, and I missed out on feeling pleased about their existence for even a few seconds. I shall always regret that."

"It was John's child…," she started to protest, but he quickly interrupted her.

"My child," he insisted. Unable to resist any longer, he reached out to caress her cheek in exactly the same way John had done. "My child, with you," he said more softly. "Did you know that I planned on proposing to you that night?"

"You did?" Donna then shook her head as if that could clear it properly. "I'm so confused; you're talking as though you are John but I know that I'm lying here talking to the Doctor."

"Let's try explaining it in a different way, since I'm getting nowhere fast here. What do you remember about the journal you were given to read in the flat?" he asked instead of telling her something.

"Well, I remember all the adventures and all the illustrations," she replied.

He brought his hands up to her head and wove a hand in through her tresses, so that he could play with a lock of her hair. "And who were you surprised to see in there?"

She thought very carefully. "There were all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures, and there were lots of people I didn't know. Oh, I saw me drawn near the back. That took me by surprise; and John said…"

"What did I say?" he encouraged her with a whisper.

"That the Doctor was so in love with me," she said in realisation. "But… but…?"

"John Smith is me, and I am him. Do you understand now?" He guided her mouth closer so that he could ghost his lips over her flesh. "The only difference is confidence; but you made me as John confident that I was capable of anything as long as you loved me."

She let out a sob of relief as she clutched his collar. "Then you're my John? You really are! Obviously there were similarities when I saw you peeping through, but I thought I was mad for loving you," she confessed. "And I thought you'd think I was mad for trying to find you."

"Far from mad," he commented gleefully. "I thought it was bloody marvellous of you; and I have missed being able to do this with you so much, my love."

They shared hesitant, tender kisses that quickly became fervent as their pent up desires broke through. So much had happened when they had needed such comfort from each other, and now, finally, they were able to ask and take it.

* * *

"Hello sleepyhead," Martha greeted Jenny softly when her eyes fluttered open. "We've been worried about you."

Jenny readily accepted the sip of water Martha offered her before croakily asking, "Where are Mum and Dad?"

"Getting some much needed sleep," Martha informed her. "I told them to go, so no thinking they'd run off and abandoned you. In fact they only went to bed about fifteen minutes ago; they've been here the whole time, looking over you."

Jenny mentally checked her body parts and then tentatively asked, "What did you have to do?"

Martha smiled reassuringly at her. "First we had to remove a bullet from your chest, second we had to stem the blood flow, and third we had to replace some of the blood that you lost. That part was no easy feat, seeing as you are part human and part Time Lord. But we did it in the end, and luckily you inherited some superior healing powers along with your DNA otherwise I'm not sure you'd still be with us."

"Wow!" Jenny exclaimed. "Thank you, Martha Jones."

Martha snickered. "You are very welcome, Jenny erm… What's the rest of your name? Are you Jenny Smith or Jenny Noble?"

"I don't know," Jenny admitted. "Although Dad kept calling Mum 'Mrs Smith' for a while."

Martha patted her hand. "Then I'd say it's up to you what name you want to use, seeing as you're the one who'll have to live with it."

Jenny thought for a few seconds. "What's the custom with this matter?"

"Well, if your parents are married then it's easy; you take your dad's surname. But they aren't, then you tend to take your mum's name," Martha supplied.

"Are my parents married?" Jenny inevitably asked.

"You tell me," Martha answered with a shrug. "I lost track of their relationship. For all I know they could have got married on some planet or other and not bothered to tell me."

Jenny laughed as Martha helped her sit up in the bed. She felt sure Martha was joking with her; she was beginning to get the hang of these things called jokes now.

"Martha, can I ask you something as a doctor?" Jenny hesitantly asked her as Martha checked her physical signs. When Martha seemed to acquiesce, Jenny continued with her question. "What exactly is a pregnancy for, and why didn't Dad explain about the baby?"

"You don't know?" Martha wondered.

"There are a lot of things I don't know; like, why does Dad keep pushing his mouth onto Mum at every opportunity when he thinks I'm not looking. I tried it once with a guard but it didn't do anything for me, and Dad was _very_ annoyed. Does it have to be done in secret, or is it in shame?"

"Neither; but it is a private activity that is meant to be pleasurable," Martha explained, but Jenny was nowhere near convinced by the look of things. "Kissing is done to bond and to arouse the female so that she is receptive for sex," Martha tried stating matter of factly instead. "Sex is the creative act of producing a baby, before you ask; and the process of maturation is called a pregnancy. I'll find some books on it in the TARDIS library for you later."

"Thank you!" Jenny answered with a grateful smile. "So, are my parents are creating a new baby at the moment? The place will be overrun with them if they are not careful."

"Don't worry, Jenny. I'm sure they have things in hand," Martha placated her whilst wanting to chuckle at her naivety.

Resisting staying in the TARDIS was beginning to be seem like the boring future option.

.

THE END

* * *

**A/N2:** I've been asked to provide the DVD Extra for the bedroom scene, so I'll be posting that separately soon.


End file.
